Published by the Swedish Institute at Athens. Distributed by Astrom Editions. Hylas, the Nymphs, Dionysos and others. Myth, ritual, ethnicity. Martin P. Nilsson Lecture on Greek Religion, delivered 1997 at the Swedish Institute at Athens By Christiane Sourvinou-Inwood Abstract The focus of this book is the reconstruction of the mythicoritual nexus of Hylas in Kios in Mysia through the in-depth investigation of the evidence (surviving in accounts by, and so shaped by the filters of, outsiders) and also of other issues implicated in its Problematik: ethnicity, cultural and religious interactions between Greeks and non Greeks, colonial discourses (with special emphasis on the foundation mythopoea of Kios’ mother city, Miletos), the nature and function of the Nymphs, the different personalities of Dionysos, advent festivals, certain problematic categories of cult recipients. Hylas’ myth and ritual had been constructed, I conclude, through complex interactions between several Greek mythicoritual schemata and included also elements that appear in non Greek nexuses located in the area of Kios. The myth was both a foundation myth constructing cultural continuity with the heroic age and an immortalization myth: a Greek youth was abducted by Nymphs and became a deity rooted in the landscape, symbolically rooting the colony to…

Published by the Swedish Institute at Athens. Distributed by Astrom Editions. Opuscula Atheniensia 17 Contents Articles Paul Åström, Katie Demakopoulou & Gisela Walberg, ‘Excavations in Midea 1985’, pp. 7–11. Valerie Cook, ‘Cyprus and the outside world during the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age’, pp. 13–32. Kåre Fagerström, ‘Fnds, function and plan: a contribution to the interpretation of Iron Age Nichoria in Messenia’, pp. 33–50. Arne Furumark (†), ‘Linear A and Minoan religion’, pp. 51–90. Heinz-Eberhard Giesecke, ‘Kretische Schurze’, pp. 91–98. Robin Hägg, ‘The last ceremony in the Throne Room at Knossos’, pp. 99–105. Pontus Hellström, ‘The planned function of the Mnesiklean Propylaia’, pp. 107–121. Bente Kiilerich, ‘Bluebeard—a snake-tailed Geryon?’, pp. 123–136. Nanno Marinatos, ‘The “African” of Thera reconsidered’, pp. 137–141. Susana Sjödin, ‘Bronze Age pottery sherds from Cyprus. Further supplementary material from Kalopsidha trench 9’, pp. 143–165. Christiane Sourvinou-Inwood, ‘”Myth” and history: on Herodotus III.48 and 50–53’, pp. 167–182. Colette Verlinden, ‘Réflexions sur la function et la production des figurines anthropomorphes Minoennes en bronze’, pp. 183–189. Anna Wærn-Sperber, ‘Mössbauer spectroscopy and quantitative chemical analyses of Early Cypriote black-topped pottery. A preliminary investigation’, pp. 191–197. Gisela Walberg, ‘Was Evans right? Further notes on Middle Minoan chronology’, pp….

Published by the Swedish Institute at Athens. Distributed by Astrom Editions. The Greek Renaissance of the eight century B.C. Tradition and innovation. Proceedings of the Second International Symposium at the Swedish Institute at Athens Edited by Robin Hägg Abstract ”The Greek Renaissance” designates the formative period of the Greek society of historical times during the latter half of the eight century B.C. The 24 papers originally read at a symposium deal with various aspects of this period; they are followed by transcripts of the discussions of the symposium. The contributors are specialists in ancient history, archaeology, philology, epigraphy, art history and history of religion. Among the topics dealt with are historical reasons for the rediscovery of the Mycenaean past in the age of Homer, the regional pottery styles, burial customs and attitudes to death, Oriental traits in epic poetry, the origin and early spread of the alphabet, Late Geometric art, especially vase painting, early Greek religion, especially cult images and altars, the growth of the pan-Hellenic santuaries, diviners and magicians, the working of bronze and ironin sanctuaries, obeloi as pre-monetary currency, the size and growth of populations, Homeric medicine, cult of the ancestors,  the symposion as social organization, the customs…